Fun Family Friendly Things to Do in San Diego

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Like so many people who live in the Valley, our family enjoys visiting San Diego because of the beautiful scenery and awesome weather, among other things.  For Spring Break, we made a last minute decision to go on a road trip, and San Diego was a perfect choice.  We usually go to Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the beach (of course).  However, I wasn’t too keen on visiting Sea World again, and I didn’t want to deal with Spring Break crowds at the zoo.  It’s also boring to do the same things every time, so we decided to visit some different attractions.  

 

Fun Family Friendly Things to do in San Diego | East Valley Moms Blog

 

BALBOA PARK

In addition to the San Diego Zoo, this huge park contains more than 16 museums and cultural attractions.  Whether you’re interested in space, railroads, art, science, or dinosaurs, there’s a museum for everyone.  We could easily have spent the whole day here and still not have seen everything.  Fortunately, there is a pass that will enable you to visit multiple museums at a reduced rate.  There are also many free (or cheap) things to experience as well – outdoor sculpture exhibits, a beautiful botanical garden, an art museum, and even a puppet show.  It’s simply a great place for families.  For great photo opportunities, you should check out the marvelous trees throughout the park and the cute green alligator sculpture outside the Mingei International Museum.  

BIRCH AQUARIUM

This amazing aquarium is part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California San Diego.  From our experience, it was clear that there is an emphasis on science, research, and education.  For example, there is a Tide Pool Plaza where you can touch sea stars, sea anemones, and other organisms.  This was pretty cool, and the ocean views from the plaza are incredible.  In addition, viewing the The Giant Kelp Forest with its variety of marine life is something the family will enjoy.  Overall, the exhibits were awesome; I saw many species of sea creatures for the first time.  The admission was surprisingly inexpensive, plus there are coupons and discounts available.  Being next to Scripps Beach is another bonus, as we were able to go on a nice walk after leaving the aquarium.  

SAN DIEGO HARBOR CRUISE

A cruise is a great way to see a lot of San Diego in an hour.  We were able to enjoy the beautiful city skyline and view landmarks such as the Star of India sailing ship and North Island Naval Air Station.  I was concerned that our four-year old wouldn’t be entertained, but she loved seeing the sunbathing sea lions, in addition to the sailboats and speedboats traveling around us.  It was very relaxing to cruise, feel the ocean breeze, and simply enjoy the scenery.

There are so many places to go when visiting San Diego, and I look forward to exploring new attractions on future trips.  Going to the beach will always be a constant because that never gets old, especially for those of us living in Arizona.  But, it’s also great to experience new things.  I hope that you’ll visit one of these attractions during your next trip to San Diego.  You’ll be glad you did!

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